


little heroics

by squiggyrag



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Drunkenness, Gen, Mass Effect Kink Meme, Past Kaidan Alenko/Commander Shepard, Traynor's got a crush, past Shepard/Jacob, without the kink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-02
Updated: 2013-09-02
Packaged: 2017-12-25 09:26:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/951436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/squiggyrag/pseuds/squiggyrag
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Shepard finds out that Jacob Taylor has moved on, Samantha Traynor keeps her company. </p><p>for the prompt "How do the Normandy crew react to the news that Jacob Taylor cheated on Femshep when she was under house arrest for ONLY SIX MONTH<br/>-Do they comfort Shep'<br/>-Do they confront Jacob "</p>
            </blockquote>





	little heroics

Sometimes Samantha Traynor couldn't shake the feeling she didn't belong on the Normandy. She didn't suffer from low self esteem, after all, she'd gone to Oxford. That meant something, right? But this was a ship of Big Damn Heroes and Sam was having a hard time seeing herself that way. She couldn't shoot worth a damn. The last time she drove a shuttle, she'd backed it into a pole and damaged the rear lights. She was good at data and technology, but so was Tali and even Liara's little drone-pet and they all had combat skills to boot. Or were a drone. Consequently, she was always looking for little ways to contribute. Maybe she couldn't be a Big Hero, but if she had enough Little Hero moments, surely they'd add up to something?  
  
So when Shepard came back from Gellix with slumped shoulders and headed straight for the Port Observatory after Garrus awkwardly patted her and said“he wasn’t worth it anyway”, Traynor jumped to attention. No, she wasn’t a fighter, but there were some things Specialist Samantha Traynor excelled at and trash-talking exes was definitely at the top of the list.   
  
Shepard was already at the bar pouring a red liquid into a shot glass when Traynor entered. She was still in her armor, but had taken her helmet off. Her hair was sticky wet in the back. She’d fought hard and wanted to get some liquor in her before the adrenaline faded, Traynor guessed.  
  
“So…” Traynor slid onto the barstool next to her. “Who do I hate and why?”  
  
Shepard didn’t say anything, but poured another drink and pushed it to Traynor. Traynor took a sip, and then when the burning liquid touched her throat, spat it out and gagged.   
  
The commander snorted (which was sort of like a smile, so Traynor considered that a partial win) and took the shot of the vile liquid, wincing slightly as it went down, then inhaling deeply. “It’s strong, but it gets you drunk. Fast.”   
  
“Well.” Traynor looked at the glass for a long moment. Little heroics. She took a deep breath and threw the rest of the liquid down her throat. Gagging, yes, pain, yes. But, finished. She set it down triumphantly and smiled at Shepard. “I’ll try to keep up then.”  
  
Shepard nodded and poured two more shots of the alcohol. “His name…” she held the shot glass up, looking at the light shining through the red liquid, and then downed it without any apparent trouble. “Is Jacob.   
  
“Ah right. Jacob Taylor. The one you saved the world from the Collectors with. I hate him.” Encouraged by the commander’s ease, Traynor steadied herself and threw the shot down her throat. Again, it burned, and Traynor had to reach up and hold her mouth shut with her hands to force it down. She coughed violently and Shepard handed her a glass of water, which she drank from until her breathing calmed down. “I  _really really_  hate him. Remind me, why though?”  
  
A small smile played at the corners of Shepard mouth, and Traynor was relieved, until she saw the other woman reach again for the bottle of the liquid and refill their glasses. Little heroics, she reminded herself again.   
  
“We were…involved.” Shepard took the next shot and poured herself another one in one motion. “And…while I was in custody, he..found someone else. “  
  
“That rat bastard!” Traynor said indignantly, pounding the counter with her fist harder than she intended. She cocked her head at the alcohol sitting on the counter, which was blurring a bit. Shit, Shepard wasn’t kidding about fast. 

Shepard sighed. “I can’t blame him, you know—“  
  
“Of course not.” Traynor said, taking her next shot. It burnt a bit, but she was more amused by the confusion on Shepard’s face. “It must have been hard for him, being with a woman who’s more powerful, intelligent, and attractive than him. The poor man. No wonder he went off and found himself some basic woman who—“  
  
“Dr. Cole is perfectly nice.” Shepard protested, but she was grinning. “I mean, she doesn’t have her own  _ship_  or anything, but…”  
  
“Much easier for him.” Traynor nodded. “Not having to live with the knowledge that his girlfriend has access to a much bigger gun…”  
  
Shepard laughed again, but her expression soured as she poured them both more shots. “I'm not even that mad at him. It’s just…god,   
Sam…I…this is the  _second_ time that it’s happened to me …You know Alenko? Before we fought Saren…but then when Cereberus brought me back, he’d already moved on. Of course he thought I was dead, but still. Even  _after_  he found out and  _after_  I was back in Alliance custody, he never came for me.” She took another shot and turned to Traynor with a miserable expression. “ Am I not worth waiting for?”  
  
Traynor drank again, ignoring how her heart beat faster under the commander’s gaze. She barely noticed the burn as it went down. “Shepard…they are…fucking…idiots..and oh god I am so sorry, I am really drunk. But it is not you. You are…amazing.”  
  
Fuck, she was drunk. Was her crush too transparent? If it was, Shepard was too drunk to notice, because she just smiled and thumped Traynor on the back. “You know what my problem is?”  
  
“You only date men?”   
  
“The fucking Reapers.” Shepard said shaking her head.   
  
“Right, yeah. The reapers.” Traynor nodded emphatically. “I mean, they are really a problem.”   
  
“Every time I find a man, they just come and fucking…kill me.” Shepard threw her arms up in the air. “What is up with that?”  
  
“It’s rather rude. I’ll give them a nice talking to next time I see one. You know, provided I don’t wet myself first.”   
  
Shepard laughed and smiled at Traynor again. A big, happy smile that lit up her entire face and made Traynor forget to breath for a minute.  
  
“You’re so great.” Shepard said, and pivoted to face her. She put one of her hands on Traynor’s shoulder. “I just…you’re great.”  
  
“You’re great too!” Traynor said, feeling dizzy. “We’re just….” She paused for a minute, then not thinking of anything else, finished with another “…really great.”  
  
“You know…” Shepard leaned in and took a strand of Traynor’s hair in her fingers. “Maybe my problem _is_ that I’ve been dating men..”  
  
She raised her eyebrows at Traynor, and for a second, Traynor felt her heart would burst with joy, but then she took in the commander’s unfocused eyes, slurry voice, the scent of alcohol on her breath, and a little voice in her head, one which she hated sooo much right now, but couldn’t ignore, broke through her drunken haze and whispered  _little heroics._  
  
“I think.” Traynor said, taking Shepard’s hand and setting it back on the bar. “You’re drunk. And you should go to your cabin.”


End file.
